Hats off to Mr Key for his astute negotiations which have got the Maori Party onside to balance and remove his dependancy on the ACT Party to govern. I'm sure Mr Hyde is somewhat miffed at this development.

The sad thing is the way the media has painted Sir Roger, with the public letting itself be misled, into the devil incarnate. Completely forgetting that his common sense socialism got the country out of the poo in the eighties and but for the infamous cup-of-tea the Labour party could well have had a two decade rule instead of being thrown out for its in fighting at the end of the eighties.

I can see that John Key simply cannot afford to have it suggested that Sir Roger has any input becuase of the public's concept of Sir Roger's worth, it would loose too many votes.

It is ironical that in the eighties the departing leaders of the Labour Party were part of the cup-of-tea brigade while the new leaders supported Roger Douglas. With some of the media talking about National moving to the right it is fair to ask if both parties are shifting the centre line to the right. So often in recent years I have heard Labour politicians spouting the catchwords from ACT of the nineties. It is rather fun altogether.

It must be a little frustrating for Rodney Hide and ACT that National is cultivating the Maori Party becuase with them on board John Key has his majority without ACT and so ACTs position is little better than when in opposition.

Still I think it is sad that Rogernomics is such a swear word with most of the population that John Key is forced to exclude Sir Roger out of reasons of self preservation. Sir Roger got the country moving in the eighties and one can only hope he has the answer to our current problems and will be taken notice of .. descretely if not openly.

A NYT article about pollution in the northern hemisphere ends with the comment that if simply for health reasons something should be done about it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/world/14cloud.html?th&emc=th

Perhaps nature is creating this in a way to reduce the effect of endless copulation which is over populating Earth.

If Prince Chgarles is fed up with kiwikids asking him what it is like to be a prince and doesn't want to come here them we should pick another member of the Royals ... perhaps the one who has lived and taught here .. I forget his name ..Edward?